Tongs mechanism



Feb. 6, 1945. c, N, REESE TONGS MECHANISM Filed Dee. s, v194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TONGS MECHANISM Carl N. Reese, Alliance,A Ohio, assignor vto The Timken Roller Bearing Company,

Canton,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 3, 1943, Serial No. 512,750

l (ol. 214-21) The opposite ends of the floating shaft IIhave 4 Claims.

This invention relates to tongs mechanism, particularly tongs mechanism of billet charging machines for rotary hearth furnaces. The invention has for its principal objects to devise a simple and economical, easily operable billet tongs mechanism that is readily accessible and easily repaired and will'operate inhigh temperatures. The invention consists in the tongs mechanism and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of arts hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a billet charging machine provided with a tongs mechanism embodying my invention, the charging machine being shown extending into a furnace, which is shown in vertical section,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 through the tongs supporting housing of the billet charging machine,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged vertical crosssectional views on the lines 4-4, 5-5, 6`6 and 1 1, respectively, in Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown embodied in a machine for inserting billets I into a rotary hearth furnace 2 through anopening 3 in the side wall thereof. The billet charging machine illustrated inthe accompanying drawings comprises a suitable self-propelled wheeled carriage 4, which is movable towards and away from the furnace opening 3l along an overhead track 5, and a substantially horizontally disposed elongated peel or tong supporting housing 6 pivotally suspended, as at 1, from said carriage for limited vertical tilting movement above a suitable roller table 3 for positioning the billets I against a stop 3a provided therefor immediately in front of the furnace opening 3. The housing 6 is tilted by means of a fluid cylinder 9 that is pivotally connected at its upper e'nd to the carriage 4 and has a depending piston rod I pivotally secured to the rear end of said housing. The housing 6 extends forwardly beyond vthe front end of the carriage 4 and is adapted to extend into the furnace 2 through the billet receiving opening 3 therein Awhen the carriage is advanced to the furnace.

The housing 6 is provided with a vbillet grip,- ping tongs mechanism comprising a floating shaft I I mounted in and disposed longitudinally of the forwardly extending portion of said housing above anopening I2 along the bottom thereof."

arms I3 rigid therewith that preferably extend on one side thereof and have their ends supported or confined in inwardly opening pockets or recesses I4 provided therefor inthe adjacent side wall of the housing B. The pockets I4 are formed by pairs of vertically spaced lugs I5 that project inwardly from the sidewall of the housing 6; and the pocket engaging ends of the arms I3 are convexly curved to permitv vertical rocking or pivotal movement of `said arms in said pockets.

Rotatably mounted on the floating shaft II adjacent to the forward end thereof are two or more4 levers I6 that cooperate to form billet gripping tongs. Each of the levers I6 has at one end an operating arm I'I that extends laterally from one side of the floating shaft I I and at the opposite end a billet grasping arm I8 that vcurves downwardly on the other side of said shaftand extends downwardly through the openingv I2 in the bottom of the housing 6 and terminates therebelow in an inwardly hooked lower end. The levers I6 are arranged on theoating shaft II with an operating arm I1 of one lever and a work grasping arm I8 of anA adjacent'lever on each side of the shaft. The operating armgI'I of each lever I 6' has its outer end supported or confined in an inwardly opening recess I9 provided therefor in the adjacent side wall of the housing 6. Each of the recessesl is formed by a pair of vertically spaced inwardly extending lugs 20 on the side wall of the housing 6;` and the recess or pocket engaging ends of the arms I1 of the levers I6 are convexly curved to permit rocking orv pivotal movement of said arms in said pockets. The housing 6 has inwardly extending flanges 2| along the lower edges of-its side walls; and said flanges are notched, asV at 22, to accommodate the billet gripping arms I8 of the levers I6 when said arms are swung outwardlyfto open the tongs formed thereby.

' Located in the housing Ii, just rearwardly of the floating shaft II therein, is a rock Ashaft 23 that extends longitudinally of said housingy and is journaled in suitable bearings 24 provided therefor in said housing. The-rock shaft 23 is provided at its forward end with a crank arm 25 that terminates at its outer end in a crank pin 26 that fits Within an opening provided therefor in a radial extending arm 21 fixed ,to the adjacentv rear end of the floating shaft II, the arm 2l being preferably formed integral with the rearmost arm I3 on said floating shaft. The rock shaft 23 is rocked in its bearings 24 preferably ing 3. The housing 6 is then tilted to swing the y I lforward end-thereof downwardly and permit-the" tongs to grip said billet. The housing 6 is then tilted to'lift the billet clear of the stop '8a at` the Adelivery end of the roller table, and the carriage 4 is then moved forwardly to insert the forward end-of the Ahousing 6, rtogether with the billet suspended therefrom,l into the furnace 2 1 through the door 3 therein, after which the tongs are opened to release'the billet I and deposit the same on the floor or hearth 29 of the furnace.

The billet'gripping tongs are opened and closed by oscillating the rock shaft 26A in its bearings 24 inthe housing 6. When the rock shaft 23 is oscillated'in one'direction, the floating shaftA II is "swungupwardly by thecrank arm 25 of said rock shaft, the arms I3 flx'ed to the floating shaft4 rocking 'or' pivoting in the supporting'pockets I4 toacooinmodate the upward swinging movement of said floating shaft. During this upwardly swinging movement of the floating shaft Il the ends-of the operating arms II of the levers I6 journaled thereon are prevented from upward r movement by the supporting pockets I9 therefor, whereby said levers are forced to pivot on the restrained ends of their operating arms and swing v the billet vgripping arms I8 of vsaid levers outwardly tov'ope'n the billet gripping tongs.v

,When the rock shaft 23v is turned in a direction which will swing the floating shaft I I down wardly', thev free ends ofthe arms I'I ofthe levers I6 'piv'ot 'or rock in their supportingA pockets I9 toaccommodateA such movement; and the ybillety gripping arms -I8 of saidflevers'are swung inwardly to Vclose the ton'gs'onV the billet. If desired, thev housing 6 maybe equipped with severalsets of tongs'soasto permit the handling of a plurality of billets at one time. The rock shaft 23 is power operated preferably only to open the tongs, as the weight of the levers I6, the arms I3 and the floating shaftr II is sufficient to provide l the proper gripping action without power operation.

arm vof one lever and a work gripping arm of the'other; lever extending on one side of said shaft, a support having pockets on opposite sides of said shaft and 'opening in the direction thereof, one of said pockets pivotally supporting the outer end of the arm rigid with said shaft, and the other pockets pivotally supporting the outer ends of the operating arms of the respective levers, and means for raising and lowering said shaft relative to said support, whereby said levers are adapted to pivot in reverse directions on their pocket supported outer ends of their operating arms to cause said gripping arms to move away from each other when said shaft is raised and towards each other when said shaft is lowered.

2. Work gripping tongs comprising a downwardly opening housing, a substantially horizontally disposed shaft located in said housing, said shaft having laterally extending arms rigid therewith pivotallyl supported at their outerl ends in said housing, a pair of levers journaled on said shaft, each of said levers having at one end an operating arm and at the opposite end a work grasping arm, said leversA being arranged with an operating arm of one vlever and a work grasping arm of the other lever on each side of said shaft and with the outer ends of the operating arms of the respective levers pivotally supported in said housing, and means for raising and lowering said shaft in said` housing whereby the levers journaled thereon are forced to pivot on said housing at the free ends of their operating arms to swing said work grasping arms away from each other when said shaft is raised and towards each other when said shaft is lowered.

3. Work gripping tongs comprising a downwardly opening housing, a substantially horizontally disposed shaft located in said housing, said shaft having-two laterally extending arms rigid therewith 4pivotally supported at their outer ends in said housing, said arms being spaced apart longitudinally of saidshaft and extending on one side thereof, a pair of levers journaled on said shaft ybetween said spaced arms, each of said levers having at one end an operating arm and at the opposite end a work grasping arm, said levers being arranged with an operating arm o'f one lever and a work grasping arm of the other lever on each side of said shaft and with the The hereinbefore describedtongs mechanism hasseveral important advantages. It is strong and durable and capable of Aoperating at high temperatures; and'lt permits wear of the parts without interfering with'the loperation thereof.

.` Thel partsare readily accessible and easily re-v placed'an'd no machined journals or bearings By the use? of a when gripped will be heldx substantially in a horizontal position.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described construction admits ofconsiderable modification without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limitedto the precise arrangement shown and described.v

- 1, Work gripping tongs comprising a substantially horizontally disposed shaft, having a laterally extending arm rigid therewith, two

outer ends of the operating arms of the respective levers pivotally supported in said housing, fand means for raising and lowering said` 4. In a billet charging mechanism for a fur-v nace, a downwardly opening housing movable horizontally into and out of said furnace, a substantially horizontally disposed floating shaft in said housing and extending in the direction of movement thereof, arms rigid with said shaft and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the ends thereof and pivotally supported at their outer ends in said housing, va. pair of levers journaled on said floating shaft, each of said levers having at one end an operating arm extending laterally from said floating shaft and at the opposite end a billet gripping arm extending below said housing, said levers Ibeing arranged 'with an operating arm of one lever` and a billet gripping arm of the other lever on each side of said oating shaft and with the outer ends ofthe operating arms of the respective levers pivotally supported in the adjacent sides of said housing, @n operating shaft journaled in said housing in end to end relation to said floating shaft, and a crank` connection between adjacent ends of said' shafts.

. CARL N. REESE. 

